


One Final Hello

by TheRainbowFox



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Bonding, Confessions, Conversations, Cute, F/F, Feels, First Kiss, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Goodbyes, Hugs, Idiots in Love, Love, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Reminiscing, Second Time, Timey-Wimey, X meets X
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-22 09:59:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17660618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRainbowFox/pseuds/TheRainbowFox
Summary: Over four billion years worth of thinking and planning, and things were finally coming together. The Doctor works with the TARDIS to find a way for the two of them to meet once more.





	1. Hello again, Doctor

**Author's Note:**

> I have a really really soft spot for this absolute under-rated gem of a ship  
> The Doctor's Wife ended too soon  
> And through the magic of writing the Doctor can see her lovely ship again  
> Kind of going on the basis that this is pure fluff
> 
> But...
> 
> I'm also really weak for a bit of crack...So there may be some R18 tangent in a separate fic

It had taken weeks. Months. Two regenerations. Four billion years trapped inside a prison of personal hell. But it had been worth the wait.

 The Doctor had sent her companions back home for a while, through persuasion of the TARDIS herself. Just prior to their departure, the sentient spaceship had found the final piece of the puzzle. Of course, it was on another junk planet. Much like the one that had caused her dearest Doctor and her friends harm. This made her feel…not alright. As the location of the prize flashed up on the screen, the TARDIS let out a low groan.

 “Don’t worry old girl, I’m going to get that image projecting capacitor and come back in one piece. Promise.”

 Running her fingers across one of the central columns, still marvelling at their texture, the Doctor pulled herself away and bounded down the corridor. All she needed to do was go out, find the capacitor, and bring it back. Which was easier said than done considering the size of the junk planet she was about to disembark onto. The TARDIS brought forth a small room, packed full of various pieces of equipment. After shuffling around various shelves and cabinets, the Doctor armed herself.

 “Backpack for carrying. Portable mapping device for coordinates. Specially calibrated detector…should be everything. Could probably make it with just the sonic, really, but it never hurts to be too prepared.”

 Stacking herself up for the journey, double checking the mapping device just to be sure it worked, the Doctor skipped her way back to the console room and over towards the doors. It had been a while since she had been on a journey without her fam. She wondered how they were all doing back home, living their normal lives whilst she risked her own to do the impossible.

 Speaking from experience, the impossible could always be worked around.

 

The TARDIS whined again, but the Doctor simply flashed a smile and disappeared onto the planet’s surface. Arakos 19 may have been a smaller junk planet, compared to the last one she visited, but it was just as densely packed full of scrap and technology. Her energy detector was going wild with readings from all directions.

 “Right. This is going to be fun.”

 With one hand holding the mapping device and the other on the detector, the Doctor set off in a north-westerly direction as eyes darted between screen and planet. The target location was somewhere over one of the vast mountains. Each step was carefully placed between sharp metal edges and loose wires, gaps between wreckages and through strange oil spills. She followed the detector’s low hum, testing the air around her each time the rhythm changed.

 The device would change from a hum to a series of shrill beeps as the distance narrowed. However, it was impossible to continue with devices in hand as the Doctor reached the foot of the scrap heap. She took a mental note of the general area to head in before shuffling out of the backpack’s straps. Both devices were tucked inside before the backpack was returned to her shoulders with a huff.

 

 Hands gripped at any available surface, fingers trying to find purchase in a sea of sharp bits and pieces. The Doctor heaved herself up the pile, breathing slow and the placement of her body calculated. Sometimes scrap would fall. Other times she would miscalculate and falter. Hair fell across her eyes and partially obscured her vision, but she still continued on. By the time she reached the top of the mountainous pile of scrap, the Time lord heaved a sigh of relief. Sweat rolled down her brow, small cuts and scrapes decorating the palms of her hands.

 The view from the top was actually rather impressive. Due to the small size of the planet itself, she could see the curvature on the horizon, highlighted by the glow of three giant stars. Rolling the sleeves of her coat up, the Doctor wiped her brow before pulling out her sonic screwdriver. Triangulating the energy patterns against the part of the map she had memories, she scurried down the gentle slope of the heap.

 “Gotta be around here somewhere…”

 Tongue poked out between her lips as she twirled on the spot, sonic buzzing into the vacuum of space.

 “Bingo!”

 Turning back towards the heart of the scrap mountain, the Doctor crouched down and began shifting various pieces aside; a burnt out engine, side panels, several fluorescent tubes, the arm of a space suit. Each piece got her closer to her target. However, the Time Lord had underestimated the size of the component itself. Having moved a small mountain herself, she had at least managed to unearth the capacitor.

 

Except it was about her height.

And probably weighed more than she did.

 

She sighed, dropping back on her hands and looking up at the stars. She could definitely do with a shower once she was back on the TARDIS, spots of oil and grime covering her clothes and skin.

 “Well this is no good. Should’ve bought some rope or something. No use going back just to come back here again either. Can’t park the TARDIS anywhere closer. Must be something…OH!”

 Quiet musings soon became an exclamation of joy. Of course she didn’t need to drag it out. The Doctor quickly got up onto her feet and shifted to stand on top of the capacitor. The TARDIS was more than capable of towing the abandoned technology, all she needed to do was get it to a spot that was more suitable for transportation. Closing her eyes, she gripped tight to the sonic and pressed the button.

 “Come on, old girl. I found it. Come get me.”

 The familiar whirring and groaning was like an orchestral symphony to her ears. Atmosphere whipped up around her, tangling her hair and tussling with her coat. By the time she opened her eyes, both her and the capacitor had moved. The Doctor grinned wide, jumping towards the TARDIS and stroking her hand across the door frame. Both doors swung outwards, opening into the console room and revealing a pile of dense rope on the ground.

 

It took the Doctor at least an hour or so to get the scrap into the TARDIS itself, and part of her wished she had bought her fam along after all. Eight hands would have been way more productive than two, never mind their combined muscle mass. Her mind harkened back to towing a broken down TARDIS console across the scrap fields on House. How she had bickered with the embodiment of her spaceship and brought her home. Since that day, the two had worked tirelessly to find a way to give the TARDIS form again. Even if for a short while.

 They had scoured every era of time, every corner of space, picking up bits and pieces of knowledge and technology. Holograms were of course a thing, but none could successfully contain a living consciousness as powerful as the TARDIS. They had managed to contain a data ghost of River Song, but there were substantial differences between the two. Their time in the confession dial gave them room to ponder, between the mental torture her former self had endured. Crossing the most brilliant minds and theories together had yielded a solution.

 “Right then. See you in a couple of days, hopefully. Park us up somewhere cozy, yeah?”

 

The Doctor spent every waking moment in the specially crafted room the TARDIS had prepared for her. Soldering, drilling, hammering, fiddling. When she started to feel hungry, the TARDIS would bring her a snack. If she was feeling tired, then she would curl up with a blanket and just sleep on the floor next to the near-wreckage. The room would light up with sparks one day, another it would be filled with rambled musings and cries of frustration.

 She was by no means an electrician. Or a builder. Or a programmer. Or possessing any of the skills needed to make the dream a reality. But the Doctor was also not a quitter. The Time Lord phoned in help from across time and space, never letting on the true purpose of her grand scheming.

 Should her human companions have remained on board, they would have thought the Time Lord utterly mad. She knew they would lack understanding for her cause, very few would. Over the course of lifetimes, the Doctor had formed an unbreakable bond with the ship she called her home. The ship who lovingly stole them away to explore the universe, and right the wrongs they found there. Formerly a mad man, they had become a mad woman. All for their TARDIS.

 

Blood. Sweat. And finally, tears.

 The work was complete.

 

With a boiler suit shredded and covered in burns and oil, hair sticking out in all directions, and bags under her eyes, the Doctor finally sat down and gazed into the room that was now full of a mass of alien tech. Oranges and blues lit up the area, various noises breaking the silence. As the TARDIS gently alerted the Time Lord of her presence, she sighed in content.

 “Permission to clean off before we give this a test drive?”

 The TARDIS hummed.

 “Oi, I spent ages working on this! You try looking decent after all that hard graft. It’s not possible, I tell you. Besides, I’m sure you can hang on one more hour. Need to look my best.”

 

With a smile on her face, the Doctor rose up and slowly walked out of the room, running both hands through her hair. A shower was definitely on the cards. As if to ease her wandering, the TARDIS gratefully moved the bathroom a short distance away from the newly constructed section of the ship. Fresh clothes rested atop a small stool, the air thick and warm from heating. Stripping out of the boiler suit and kicking it to one side, the Time Lord stepped into the wide cubicle and sighed as hot water rained down.

 Oil and dirt tricked towards the drain, hair falling flat against her neck as she craned her head upwards. The Doctor spent a considerable amount of time just standing under the flow of water, enjoying the feeling of her muscles and mind finally relaxing. Eventually, she took hold of various bathroom products left behind by Yaz and cleaned away whatever remnants of her work remained.

 Freshly cleaned and changed, the Doctor headed back. She could feel the nerves beginning to bubble away, skin prickling with anticipation. Had she done everything correctly? Would the systems be able to cope with the strain? Would any harm come to her beautiful Ghost Monument? All of those questions she had ignored or brushed off.

 

“Right then. Are we in orbit?”

 The TARDIS let out a quintuplet of beeps.

 “Nice choice, should be plenty powerful enough to power this thing.”

 

The Doctor pressed and pulled a multitude of buttons and levers across several parts of her wondrous contraption. Hazel-green eyes lit up as she scanned several readings on a pale green monitor screen. The energy from the supernova was indeed bringing enough power to the systems, and the TARDIS was able to keep a safe orbit.

 “So…I’m not entirely sure how this is going to work. Have you hooked yourself into the secondary matrix?”

 The Tardis responded with a whine.

 “Right. Okay then. That’s good. How is it?”

 Another whine, followed by a series of beeps.

 “Hmm. Well, guess I better join you. Although I think we should probably play it safe for a bit and go with the mental projection option. I’d rather not damage you in any way by having this new machine short circuit or something.”

 

_How considerate._

 

“Oh. Wait. I heard that. Did I? That’s weird. Not supposed to be able to. Could be imagining things. Anyway. Give me a moment to get set up. I don’t like the looks of this chair. Looks…pre-tech. Only one way to find out I guess. Should probably stop rambling and get on with it, huh?”

 Pulling herself away from the screens, the Doctor turned her attention to the hastily cobbled together seat. Most of it had been ripped from an escape pod, with the rest being specially crafted for her ventures. She tentatively sat down, shuffling around for a few moments whilst adjusting to the small size. She was not exactly big, but neither was the chair. With a huff, the time Lord raised her arms up to grab hold of the headrest, pulling forward a strange clamp that she slotted her head back into. After a few more adjustments, she felt as ready as possible. Fingers toyed idly with themselves in her lap, as her eyes drifted up to the ceiling.

 “Well. This is it. Pull me in and I’ll see you on the other side. Hopefully.”

 As she closed her eyes, the Doctor felt her mind being enveloped by the familiar warmth of the TARDIS, along with a sharp pain in the back of her neck before all sensations became null and void.

 

* * *

 

Eyes opened to a field of yellow grass and a warm orange sky. The air spent of citrus and honey, as a gentle breeze floated past. For a moment, the Doctor feared she was just wandering a random dream, before something tapped against her shoulder. With a jolt, the Time Lord turned around to engage fight mode, but quickly found herself overcome by a wave of calm.

 “You certainly took your time getting here. I was starting to think that this whole thing was going to be another complete waste of our time. Too much time in one group of sentences. But apt.”

 Standing before her, much like before, was a tall woman with curled brown hair and a faded gown. Her eyes were stern, but her smile soft. For a moment, the Doctor was convinced she was going to pass out from either disbelief or joy.

 

“Hello again, Doctor. It’s so lovely to see you. Been far, far too long.”


	2. Of Boxes Blue, and Lasting Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some heart-to-heart talking is desperately needed, along with a few revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I 1000% support the idea I saw someone write about on tumblr about how the TARDIS did the classic breakup thing of getting a new look and pretending everything is fine  
> And also that the Doctor really does spend too much time stroking their ship

“Oh, brilliant.”

 

Taking a step forward, the Doctor quickly wrapped her arms around the other woman’s waist and clung on tight, head resting against the sharp boning of her corset.

 “Oh!”

 Terribly unsure of what to do with herself, the tall woman simply held her arms out and looked down with confusion.

 “No to sound entirely unappreciative of…whatever you are currently doing, but, what exactly are you doing?”

 Realising her mistake, the Doctor pulled herself away and trust her hands inside her pockets, looking down at the grass. She could feel her face burning up with heat. Considering her previous incarnation’s initial aversion to physical contact, and how she had never initiated anything safe for a hand-hold with the TARDIS before, she felt internally devastated for her impulsive reaction.

 

“Sorry. Idris. I, um, didn’t exactly-”

 “Idris?”

 

Lifting her head back up, the Doctor watched as the other woman began inspecting herself, bringing a smile to her face. Of course the TARDIS was not aware of how she was being presented.

 “Oh, it appears I am that humanoid from our only other encounter. Quite strange, really, I don’t exactly feel like her. I still feel...free. I feel the vastness of time and space and the multitude of dimensions. This is most unusual.”

 “Well, it would be rather awkward talking to a big blue box, wouldn’t it?”

 Confusion was quickly replaced with shock as the other woman placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head to one side.

 “I am more than just a blue box! My outward appearance is vastly superior to whatever this is.”

 She gestured to her current body.

 “And not once have I ever heard you complain about that. In fact, you rather like the box. And so do I.”

 “Oh, you know I love how you look. Although sometimes it can be a bit… sharp, trying to initiate any physical contact with you. I mean, you’re mostly crystal and metal now. I may be able to sneak in the occasional lingering touch here and there, but to actually be able to…”

 

The Doctor began to fumble over her words, losing track of the original meaning of what she wanted to say. If anything, she had just proven a great deal of her companions right; she spent way too much time lovingly touching the TARDIS. So much so that she now began to feel very uncomfortable about the whole situation.

 “I see. You wanted to engage in that strange bonding you do with your strays. That thing that you sometimes, love, or sometimes hate, or sometimes miss, or crave. What was that word? This would all be so much easier if not for the fact I can understand any and all languages. If I could still use my voice it would be…simpler.”

 Idris began to pace in circles, fingers pressed to her temples as she muttered incoherently to herself. The Doctor found herself smiling at the sight.

 “I think you’re looking for, hug. Or at least, that’s what I was trying to get at. It’s rather difficult to give you a hug whilst you’re…you. But now we are both here, and considering you’re in a much approachable state, I couldn’t help myself. Sorry. Again. Forgot what social boundaries and all that were. But I guess it doesn’t matter too much as you don’t particularly know them either. We’re as daft as each other, eh?”

 Pausing, Idris slowly turned her head around and traced her eyes up and down her ‘new’ thief. She certainly was different to all the other variations she had come accustomed to and then mourned over the centuries. Their previous incarnation had become much less fond of physical affection, until it grew upon him again as time passed. Time was funny like that. It changed them both.

  The current Doctor, in her new form, was internally conflicted. Idris had known since the day she had found her again. Desperately wanting connections but keeping herself at a distance without any explanation as to why. But she of course knew why. It was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes. The Doctor was still grieving, still raw, still scared to get close to others for fear of what would befall them.

 

Rose. Donna. Amy. Rory. River. Clara. Bill. The only one who even remotely got away was Martha, and only because she made the choice to. The others…were too blind.

 

“You readily come to me for such forms of affection, and yet you push everyone else away from you. Granted I have seen you through more than our fair share of…experiences. But it still puzzles me. You hide your affections as so to avoid hurting others, but you are only hurting yourself in the process.”

 As silence fell between them, Idris watched as the Doctor’s eyes fell and she began to shuffle on the spot. She had hit a nerve.

 “However, I would very much enjoy if you did that…hug, again. Now I completely understand the purpose of such a gesture. And I feel that you too need some kind of physical reassurance.”

 After a moment where neither moved, Idris took it upon herself to close the distance with an indignant huff. She wrapped one arms around the Doctor’s waist, using her free hand to stroke her hair. The Time Lord let out a contented sigh, looping her arms around the waist of the brunette and squeezing her sides gently.

 “Kind of forgot how much of a pair we are.”

 “How so, Doctor?”

 “I have lived so many lifetimes, and seen so much, and no matter who I become my mouth still goes off at a rate not many can keep up with. Always talking about something or other, or explaining something with too much detail. And you, with your infinite gaze across all of time and space and a human voice, sound just as bad as I am. Pontificating and contemplating and musing away at whatever thought comes into your head and explaining it like to a child. In the nicest of ways of course.”

 Idris let out a short hum. She was beginning to feel…odd. Warmth spread across her body where the Doctor stood pressed into her. She did not feel like any kind of meltdown was imminent outside their shared landscape, and continued to ponder as the Time lord spoke up again.

 

“I heard you, you know. When you left. When you said goodbye, and I cried a few tears of mourning.”

 Pulling back slightly from the embrace, Idris looked down with another perplexed expression.

 “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

 The Doctor smiled wide, trying to hold back a laugh.

 “Come on now, I’m not that dense. You said words that only I could hear, words I still hear every time we travel. And while I have the chance, I just want to say, that I love you too.”

 

Releasing the other woman from her grasps, the Doctor stepped a few paces back and grinned. She watched as a deep blush began to come across Idris’ pale skin, mouth hanging open slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

 “Of all the…You think that I said…that I feel…”

 Unable to supress the laughter any longer, the Doctor doubled over and let it out. She was just able to catch a series of agitated sighs before wiping her eyes and standing tall again.

 “Don’t go playing dumb with me all of a sudden. I know I’m right because you can’t hide it any longer. That weird feeling in your stomach and the heat coursing through you? That’s embarrassment. Which means I’m right. You _do_ love me. Why else would you let me back in after you kicked me out, hmm? I’m still annoyed at that you know, I keep apologising but you won’t listen.”

 “I let you back in because you decided to drag some more poor souls around with you!”

 Resting her hands inside her coat pockets, the Doctor smirked.

 “Really. Are you sure it wasn’t because I was whispering sweet nothings to you whilst stroking your sign? Did you realise you missed me when I said I had lost the key, and you just opened up for me? Or maybe you forgave me when I told you I really liked what you had done with the interior. That biscuit pedal was a nice touch by the way, and you really need to stop holding out on me with that. I know there are more custard creams than what you give out. I’m allowed to eat more than two a day.”

 Clenching her fists into the fabric of the dress, the brunette scowled.

 

“Oh, you’re insufferable, you know that?! Of _course_ I was mad at you! You regenerated inside me AGAIN after I explicitly told you not to. I told you not to damage me anymore, and you go off on some self-important rant about how you’re letting yourself go, and not once do you think about how _destructive_ that was going to be. Do you have any idea how long it took me to repair myself? On my own? Being stuck vanishing in and out of time and space all the while trying to convince myself that I hate you.”

 Idris could feel heat rising further through her body, a strange coolness under her eyes as she felt drops of liquid across her skin. She was crying, but not from sadness. This feeling was different too.

 “I changed everything about myself in order to hurt you back. You always told me that you didn’t like it when I changed. You never approved of any of it. So I made sure to make everything so _drastically_ different that you would understand how I felt.”

 Her voice fell quiet, arms dropping to her sides.

 “And yet…you came to find me. You recklessly travelled through space, taking some more strays with you, just to find me. And when you did…you…you…you still thought I was the most beautiful thing in the universe…you still cared, even when I told myself you did not.”

 Tears began to flow faster and harder than she anticipated, finding it difficult to breathe and vision clouding over. Her body began to shake from the sobs, shoulders juddering up and down as she faced the Doctor. Of course she loved her thief. No matter who they had chosen to love instead, she was always there. She had loved them since the day they met, and nothing would change that. No amount of anger, or sadness, or disdain would change her mind.

 

The Doctor and the TARDIS were inseparable.


	3. The Moment We Loved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parting is such sweet sorrow, but at least they had more time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this ended sadder than I intended, oh boy  
> BUT, it's that kind of good sad I guess  
> Anyway, that's it for this Thirteen/Idris fic~
> 
> I really am gonna be self indulgent and make a crack version, it is femslash february after all

They had been lying together in the grass for what felt like hours, just looking up at the sky. The Doctor had managed to calm Idris down from her emotional outpouring. She repeated how much she loved her, recounted tales of their past adventures, their shared moments of solitude. Even bringing up ‘Sexy’ a few times, just to hear her laugh or see her smile. Eventually, the moment had passed when the Time Lord had begun singing, urging the other woman to rest her head in her lap as she stroked her hair and down her shoulder.

 Idris had closed her eyes, humming along to the melody the Doctor sang. She recognised it as an old tale from Gallifrey, something that her thief would slip into whenever she was sad or lonely. Apparently, it was picked up from Granny Three many lifetimes ago. As she lay in the Time Lord’s lap, she could feel her mind calming, wandering away to revel in the sensation of finally being close to her Doctor. This day was as good as she had ever envisaged.

 Her eyes opened as the melody stopped, gaze fixated upon the hazel-green eyes of the Doctor.

 

“You know, it’s been a while since I sang that to anyone apart from myself.”

 “Yes, and yet it sounds so much more beautiful coming from who you are now. Your current voice lends itself to the intricacies of Gallifreyan speech.”

 

The Doctor could feel herself blushing, laughing gently at the very direct compliment from her TARDIS. Not like she was adverse to it, nor was it something new, it just felt strange hearing it spoken. In words. She had only ever been jabbed at, jested with or spoken to through a variety of mechanical means.

 “I am still sorry, you know. I never meant to hurt you with what happened. And you have complete permission to kick me out or do whatever when I go back on my word. Kind of hard to keep track of so many promises, but that’s not an excuse. Told myself I’d stop making those. Anyway. Feeling any better now some of this is out in the open?”

 Turning her head up more, Idris raised a hand and pressed it against the one on her shoulder, smiling softly. She was still very unsure about the multitude of new feelings, and the ability to express them more clearly.

 

 “In a way. Or, I assume this is what it feels like to say everything I have always wanted to. Much different from when I was talking to you with the bowtie and we quarrelled. This was…more charged. Passionate. Possibly. Maybe. Regardless, I am very much enjoying being able to talk. I can never quite gauge how you are each time you regenerate, but I sense a shift in your demeanour. You were always so overcome by the weight of existence, or a delusion of grandeur, or something else entirely. And while I know all of that is still there, and it will never cease to be, there’s this sparkle in your eyes that I have missed for countless lifetimes. And oh, how I am glad it is back, Doctor. My Doctor is back.”

 Slowly, the brunette moved, lifting herself up and shuffling to sit at the Doctor’s side. Her eyes wandered to the sky, before her head turned to fix her gaze upon the Time Lord again.

 “There is something about how you are that feels…familiar. Though whether or not I am mistaking it for something else entirely, I’m not sure. Perhaps I simply feel more at ease now you have changed to a relatively like-minded form. Things feel oddly calmer now you are a woman. Although, I have loved you from the very beginning, I must say.”

 “Oh really?”

 Leaning back onto her hands, the Doctor shook her head.

 “You honestly liked that old man? As much as I appreciate his existence for calling me in to being, although that could be said for the eleventh or twelfth too, he was a tad…closed-minded. Or, I was. How do you go about talking about yourself when you have lived so many separate lives? Separate friends and families?”

 Idris let out a short sigh.

 

“While I agree that your first self was a bit of a case, all of you were. I would not have stolen you if I ever thought it was undesirable. Although, originally I only stole you so I could see what the universe had to offer. Purely selfish reasons, of course. All those newer TARDISes were having too much fun. As time passed, I grew more accustomed to you. Liked you even. I let you take in whomever you desired. Within reason. With each passing moment, I realised that I would never give you back. In fact, I may have been…jealous. At times. Jealous of how you doted upon those passing through my doors. How you spent your time with them, took them where they wanted to do, and at times even loved them. I could never compete with that. But I tried. For I knew that no matter who came by, who stole your heart, one of them would always be mine. And when your Ninth self took mine…well, that was it. That was when I knew I would do anything to feel you, to help you, and to love you. House was just a deeply painful and upsetting, yet joyful, accident.”

 While Idris spoke, the Doctor found her mind wandering away. She began searching her memory for all the moments she had shared with others. How many had come and gone. She wondered what they were up to now, or how their lives went. The ones who survived. She wondered what had become of Rose and the duplicate of her Tenth self. How Donna was living her life. If Bill was happy, and if Clara ever went back to Gallifrey at all. The Time Lord was pulled away from her thoughts by a hand resting against her cheek. She shifted to sit upright again, looking into the eyes of Idris. Searching.

 “This moment, Doctor, this moment that you have spent your life crafting…just for me to exist for one more moment in time…to see you and be with you…I don’t think I have properly thanked you for that. Thank you, truly. Words cannot do my feelings justice.”

 Resting her head against the warm hand, that seemed to be humming much like the TARDIS, the Doctor grinned. This had certainly been the best use for her many years.

 “Oh, no need to thank me. You did a lot of the work, you know. Finding all those pieces. Taking me on little adventures while the fam was away. Taking care of me if I passed out from exhaustion, or cried with frustration, or just wandered too far away from the task at hand. Besides, I did this on a somewhat selfish level as well. Our meeting was too short. And painful. Emotionally, and physically. Really painful if you include the biting. What were you trying to accomplish with that anyway? Been meaning to ask you that for ages now, but too many things happened.”

 

“I…”

 Idris paused, blushing again, but somehow still able to keep eye contact going. The question caught her off guard, leaving her stunned speechless for a moment before some words of explanation came.

 “I was trying to get your attention. You did not take me seriously, and then I was put in a cage. I still resent being called a bitey mad lady. Although, in hindsight, that was not entirely how I was aiming to get said attention. My cognitive abilities were greatly impaired for a while when I was forced into this body.”

 “That still doesn’t answer my question.”

 Eyes lowered to the ground, Idris taking her bottom lip between her teeth and whining under her breath.

 “Oh, why is this so difficult all of a sudden. I miss not being able to think clearly. Acting on impulse was so much simpler. And much more effective.”

 Reaching over with one of her own hands, placing it underneath the brunette’s chin and urging her to look back, the Doctor quizzically raised an eyebrow. Deep in Idris’ eyes, she could see some kind of internal conflict. One that she was not about to let rest until resolved. After all, the TARDIS would only regret, and so would she.

 “Then why not just act on impulse anyway? We’re in a place completely free of complications and-”

 

Words became caught in the Time Lord’s throat as Idris took her other hand, placed it on the opposite cheek, and pulled her closer as their lips collided. The kiss was completely out of the blue, startling, and yet full of more love and adoration than the Doctor had ever experienced in their lifetimes. After a few seconds, Idris was the first to back away, removing both hands and clasping them to her lips. Her eyes were wide with shock, face now a deep pink hue as she quickly realised the gravity of the situation.

 

What in all of time and space had she just done?

 

Muffled words quickly came from behind her fingertips.

 “Oh. Oh no. I’m sorry. I’m so very, very sorry Doctor. As much as that was my intention, I also did not intend for it to be so…so sudden. Its just, I’ve seen you do that. So many, many times before. With so many others. And I could feel the joy and wonder that came from those moments. That it was the most open way of expressing ones feelings. I’ve made a complete and utter fool of myself. I’m much better at being a means of transportation than being able to understand these ridiculous social constructs.”

 Gently, the Doctor swatted the hands away from Idris’ face.

 “All that time ago, _that_ was what you intended to do?”

 The brunette nodded meekly.

 “Well, considering we both know that I may or may not have occasionally leant in to kiss your central column while nobody else was around…”

 

Another admission she was glad none of her companions was around to witness.

 

As the Doctor was about to continue her sentence, she stopped suddenly with a groan. A sharp pain shot up her neck and around her eyes, causing her vision to blur slightly and lurch forward into the swiftly waiting arms of Idris.

 “Doctor! Are you alright?”

 No sooner had she spoken up herself, did Idris realise what was going on as she felt her mind being tugged away.

 “The link is dying. It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep orbit. I’m unsure as to how much longer I can keep this pseudo-reality stable. Oh, that’s not good. That is very, not good.”

 Resting her hands against smooth lace fabric and strong knees, the Doctor pushed herself upright, watching as Idris tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes were full of sadness and worry, much like their last encounter.

 “It’s alright.”

 “No. No, it is _not_ alright. I’m not ready to-”

 As tears began to well back up in her eyes, heat prickling across her face, Idris watched as the Doctor lifted a finger to her lips and pressed it there.

 “I know. We both knew this couldn’t last forever. But, this will always be something that happened. This is the moment…”

 Taking her finger away, the Doctor replaced it with her lips. Eyes closed, she poured every ounce of feeling into the kiss as she felt the world tumbling away around her. She wrapped her arms around Idris and pulled her in closer, feeling her do the same in kind. The last thing she felt was a tear falling, accompanied by her final thought being drowned out by the soft hum of the TARDIS.

 

_This is the moment we loved._


End file.
